Finally got my speakers!

[codexp3]

Fronts: Signature S8
Center: C5
Surrounds: Signature S4 x2 (Not going to 7.1 until more PCM 7.1 tracks)
Pre: Integra DTC 9.8 (Only pre with Hdmi audio+video I could find under 3k)
Amps: Mains + Center Pair of McIntosh 402s (bought used but not abused)
Surround Amp: TBD out of money for the time being
Sub: TBD went overboard on speakers...will have to wait

It sounds great, but I'm only running 3 channels because I have no amp for the surrounds. Another thing that I'm disappointed with is I bought the 402s thinking I was going to biwire the S8s, but it made no overall difference in sound. I ended up running one amp to the s8s and one chanel of the second amp to the center (400w the the C5 makes it the best center I've ever heard!) Problem is I'm doing nothing with the 2nd channel on the 402. A 400w channel sitting there staring at me and no where to go. What on god's earth can I do with it? No point using it for I sub, as the sub I'm looking at is already powered.

 

[bandphan]

Fronts: Signature S8
Center: C5
Surrounds: Signature S4 x2 (Not going to 7.1 until more PCM 7.1 tracks)
Pre: Integra DTC 9.8 (Only pre with Hdmi audio+video I could find under 3k)
Amps: Mains + Center Pair of McIntosh 402s (bought used but not abused)
Surround Amp: TBD out of money for the time being
Sub: TBD went overboard on speakers...will have to wait

It sounds great, but I'm only running 3 channels because I have no amp for the surrounds. Another thing that I'm disappointed with is I bought the 402s thinking I was going to biwire the S8s, but it made no overall difference in sound. I ended up running one amp to the s8s and one chanel of the second amp to the center (400w the the C5 makes it the best center I've ever heard!) Problem is I'm doing nothing with the 2nd channel on the 402. A 400w channel sitting there staring at me and no where to go. What on god's earth can I do with it? No point using it for I sub, as the sub I'm looking at is already powered.

what ohm are you running the macs at?

 

[codexp3]

they are running at 8ohms. The power is rated the same at 8/4/2. The manual says I can run mono-parallel at 800w. In a previous post I was told bridging isn't a good idea.

 

[adk highlander]

Really nice setup. What finish did you get on the speakers?

How about some pics?

 

[mouettus]

Who told you it was bad to bridge an amp that's made for that?

Yeah... bi-wiring is useless

Tremendous speakers BTW.

P.S. Useless thread without pics

 

[codexp3]

Who told you it was bad to bridge an amp that's made for that?

Yeah... bi-wiring is useless

Tremendous speakers BTW.

P.S. Useless thread without pics

If I do bridge that changes the amp load to 4ohms, since the speaker is still 8ohms will this offer any benefit? I don't really need any more power to them they already play louder than I can possibly listen to.

 

[bandphan]

the reason i asked was the spec page listed the speakers compatible with 8ohm, i wasnt sure. Your setup is correct for what you have, im sure it sounds awesome.

 

[codexp3]

Really nice setup. What finish did you get on the speakers?

How about some pics?

I wanted piano, but got a deal on the maple. The electrician comes on Wednesday to install some 20 amp circuits in the theater room and then I'll take the preliminary pics. I'm still without: A projector, a screen, theater chairs, subwoofer, and surround amp. Had I not listened to the Signature line and went with the studios (as per my original plan) I'd be finished and less broke.

 

[TLS Guy]

Who told you it was bad to bridge an amp that's made for that?

A number of us including me. If he bridges the amp he will gain nothing, because, the load (speaker) will not change. He would have to have a speaker half the impedance of his current one to realize any benefit.

 

[mouettus]

A number of us including me. If he bridges the amp he will gain nothing, because, the load (speaker) will not change. He would have to have a speaker half the impedance of his current one to realize any benefit.

But wouldn't he benefit if need be?

So if I understand what you're saying, even if bridged, the amp won't supply more power than asked at the same impedance?

How can it be bad then?

 

[TLS Guy]

But wouldn't he benefit if need be?

So if I understand what you're saying, even if bridged, the amp won't supply more power than asked at the same impedance?

How can it be bad then?

Well he is not gaining anything and has a downside. If you bridge two amps you are assuming the amps are absolutely identical, in every way including output level. Any variation of performance with aging components, will cause the waveform to be asymmetric. I think bridging is generally a bad idea, and very much misunderstood. The OP with his set up has no benefit whatever to derive, and potential downsides.

Peter Walker of Quad was not a fan either. He would supply bridged amps to special order, but he would hand match all output devices and the amps were precisely level matched, and he added an internal adjustment to do just that.

You are much better off getting an amp of the power you need rather than bridging, which is fundamentally a fairly bad idea.

 

[mouettus]

Well he is not gaining anything and has a downside. If you bridge two amps you are assuming the amps are absolutely identical, in every way including output level. Any variation of performance with aging components, will cause the waveform to be asymmetric. I think bridging is generally a bad idea, and very much misunderstood. The OP with his set up has no benefit whatever to derive, and potential downsides.

Peter Walker of Quad was not a fan either. He would supply bridged amps to special order, but he would hand match all output devices and the amps were precisely level matched, and he added an internal adjustment to do just that.

You are much better off getting an amp of the power you need rather than bridging, which is fundamentally a fairly bad idea.

Good enough. Thx

 

[Guangui]

Well he is not gaining anything and has a downside. If you bridge two amps you are assuming the amps are absolutely identical, in every way including output level. Any variation of performance with aging components, will cause the waveform to be asymmetric. I think bridging is generally a bad idea, and very much misunderstood. The OP with his set up has no benefit whatever to derive, and potential downsides.

Peter Walker of Quad was not a fan either. He would supply bridged amps to special order, but he would hand match all output devices and the amps were precisely level matched, and he added an internal adjustment to do just that.

You are much better off getting an amp of the power you need rather than bridging, which is fundamentally a fairly bad idea.

Not counting the extra power draw, and slight increase in his electric bill....